Russia's Economic Forum Struggles Amid Isolation and Sanctions.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) opened with a lack of high-profile guests and a diminished event due to Western countries boycotting the event for a second consecutive year due to the war in Ukraine. The forum's theme is "sovereign development," a term the Kremlin uses to describe growing domestic industries and stimulating local investment. The war in Ukraine has loomed large over SPIEF as a whole, with speakers offering rewards for destroyed Western-made tanks used by Ukrainian armed forces and attempting to rally support for the Russian military.